OCR Text |
Show 1890.] OF THE FAMILY BUTHID/E. 139 laterally in the posterior half from the central sulcus ; ocular tubercle with the ridges formed by the sulcus granular. Tergites granular throughout, the granules in the posterior half of each much larger than in the anterior; each, except the last, marked in the middle line behind by a granular keel, the last bearing in its anterior half a median prominence and on each side two keels which anteriorly disappear in the general granulation of the tergite. Sternites. The anterior three smooth ; the fourth slightly granular only at the sides ; the fifth somewhat coarsely granular and bicarinate in its posterior half. Tail robust, nearly five times as long as the cephalothorax ; upper surface not deeply excavated and very finely granular ; lateral and inferior surfaces coarsely granular throughout and sparsely hairy; the first segment marked with ten strongly and evenly granular keels, the second, third, and fourth with eight similar keels, the fifth with five keels, whereof the two superior are weak. Vesicle smooth above, somewhat coarsely and subserially granular beneath, the spine long and slender; the aculeus stout and curved. Palpi hairy; upper surface of humerus minutely granular throughout and bounded in front and behind by a series of coarse granules ; anterior and posterior surfaces armed with small granules and larger tubercles ; inferior surface finely granular proximally : brachium granular and carinate behind and above, sparsely tubercular in front, minutely granular beneath: manus smooth and rounded, neither granular nor costate, about equalling the brachium in width : dactyli curved, nearly twice as long as the " hand-back," in contact throughout, neither sinuate nor lobate ; the arrangement of teeth approximately the same as in the preceding species. Chelicerae with dentition as in the preceding species. Legs with femora feebly granular in front, carinate and granular above and below ; patellae carinate and granular anteriorly ; tibice of the first three pairs unarmed, of the fourth pair spurred. Pectines not extending so far as the distal extremity of the fourth coxae, armed with 20 or 21 similar teeth. Stigmata slit-like. Measurements in millimetres of (2) specimen.-Total length 76 ; cephalothorax, length 8-5, width 9'5 ; distance of eyes from posterior margin 5 : tail, length 43 ; of 1st segment 5 ; of second 6 ; of 3rd 6*3 ; of 4th 7'5 ; of 5th 8*5 ; of vesicle 4-5. Palpi-humerus, length 7; brachium, length 8, width 3"3 ; manus, width 3; "hand-back," length 5 ; movable dactylus, length 9. A single specimen in the Museum collection taken by Mr. F. J. Jackson at Taveita, Kilima-njaro. This species is closely allied to, and may possibly prove to be only the female of, R. dentatus. But the under surface of the fourth and fifth caudal segments is furnished with distinct granular keels ; in R. dentatus these segments are said to have only the upper side keeled. |